


When the Sun meets the Moon

by crowreys_wormstache



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Compare and Contrast, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23750317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowreys_wormstache/pseuds/crowreys_wormstache
Summary: Fire and Water, Sun and Moon, Day and Night. The constrast between them is evident. They are so different and yet, despite of it all - or maybe because of it - so in love.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48
Collections: Zutara





	When the Sun meets the Moon

„You rise with the Moon. I rise with the Sun.“

Zuko thinks about that sometimes.

Back then, he was just being intimidating. Telling her he’s just as strong as her and without the moon on her side he’s even stronger.

But so much has changed since then. Though, it’s still true of course. Zuko has an affinity for mornings and sunrises. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin, seeing the rays of sunlight reflecting from the ponds in the palace gardens, it gives him strength and confidence. It’s when he enjoys firebending practice the most.

Katara on the other hand seems to be more alive somehow when the moon is up and especially during the full moon. She holds her head just a little bit higher, walks just a little more confidently.

Zuko loves her most in moments like these.

His fondness of mornings made him an early bird, he doesn’t like staying up late. But Katara is most productive just as the night approaches and often does yoga, practices bending and generally does most things well into the night. This leads to the royal bedroom being empty most nights. They like being close to each other, so Zuko will usually grab a blanket and pillow and lie down on the sofa or just straight up on the floor in whichever room Katara does her thing that night. He watches her quietly, loving the sight of her graceful movements, loving the faint silvery glow of her silhouette in the moonlight.

Loving  _ her _ .

Sometimes Katara too goes to bed early and they do spend the night in the royal chambers. Zuko of course gets up early and heads straight for the gardens. When Katara wakes – which is usually shortly after that, she sets off to find him. She would sit in the shade of the mango-peach in the gardens and watch as Zuko practises his bending. She loves the way the glow of his fire illuminates his face, accentuating all the right features – the sharp jawline, the golden eyes. He looks very serene, when he concentrates on his morning firebending routine and it fills Katara’s heart with warmth. She always thought Zuko worries too much about everything.

Katara adores the night sky and knows every constellation by heart. Sometimes they would stand on the balcony and she’d point them out to him. “There’s the Seal. This is the lion-lynx. Here’s the Thunderbird. Oh and that is the Star of La! Isn’t the view beautiful?” Zuko would gaze at her profile as she marvels at the sky, taking it all in. Her smile, the glint in her eye, that she has whenever she talks about something that brings her joy. “Yeah. Yeah, it really is.” He’d say, still looking at her.

While Katara is fond of the tranquillity of the night, Zuko prefers the liveliness of the day, the way the sun gives energy to everything around. Somehow, he too feels more alive when he feels the warmth of the sunshine on his skin. He takes the waterbender on long walks through the palace gardens and the forest, points out the plants and animals that can only be found in the Fire Nation. He remembers how his mother would tell him about each and every living creature and greenery they would come across and teach him to treat all of them with respect, not just so he doesn’t anger the spirits, but because when you’re kind to Nature around you, Nature will return the kindness. Katara would listen to him with great interest as both land fauna and flora are scarce at the South Pole. She loves to learn new things and loves that she can learn so much from Zuko. She has of course travelled the world including the Fire Nation with Aang and the others, but no one could provide such insight into the secrets of it, hidden from the eyes of outsiders like Zuko could. Sometimes they sit down in the gardens or in the forest bathing in the sun. Katara loves the sight of the firebender, as he basks in the sun, his golden eyes even more mesmerizing than usual, shining like actual gold jewellery in the light.

What they both enjoy immensely are sunsets. Katara finds beauty in the way everything is bathed in a soft red light, the alpenglow above, the way the world calms down and prepares to rest. The way her lover’s robes match the sky. Zuko also likes the certain magic that sunsets have. They create an atmosphere that can’t be recreated during the day or night. As the fire of the sun sets low, he feels the fire within himself cooling down as well, his mind at peace. And in turn, he can see Katara’s strength grow.

They often watch the sunsets together, both feeling a strong connection to it and – even more so – to each other. Fire and water, in harmony, side by side, watching as the sky above them finds the same balance and harmony too.

As the last rays of the sun slowly vanish below the horizon, Zuko turns to Katara taking her hands into his, smiling down at her fondly, his heart filled with love as he sees the girl smiling back up at him. He could stand there and get lost in her ocean eyes for the rest of eternity. He brings her closer to him and whispers as if not to disturb the serenity around them.

“You rise with the Moon. I rise with the Sun.”

Their lips meet.

**Author's Note:**

> What I write: Fanfiction  
> What I don't: That 30-page assignment for uni I've been putting off all semester  
> What I regret: Nothing
> 
> Also I still die at that line of Zuko's every single time so ¯\\_ (ツ)_/¯


End file.
